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Thursday, March 11, 2010

BERGAMO GIORNI 12: TERME' SIRMIONE

WHILE IT IS CERTAINLY TRUE THAT THE SUN NEVER SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE, THE ROMANS SPREAD AND MAINTAINED AN EMPIRE THAT THE WORLD HAD NEVER SEEN AND HOPEFULLY WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN..THE IMPRESSVE PART TO THE ROMANS WAS HOW THEY LEFT THEIR MARK..ARCHES AND ACQUADUCTS AND ROADS, AND MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT MARK OF ALL...HOW TO ENJOY LIFE..

THE ITALIANS HAVE TAKEN THE ROMAN WAY..PRESERVED THE MARKS THROUGHTOUT THEIR SMALL COUNTRY AND ENHANCED THEM...AND THEN TAKEN THE ENJOYMENT OF LIFE TO THEIR OWN LEVEL THEY CALL.."LA DOLCE VITA."..THE SWEETNESS OF LIFE.

I AM HERE IN BERGAMO IN LARGE PART TO DISCOVER LA DOLCE VITA..I WANT TO FIND OUT JUST HOW SWEET LIFE CAN BE AND HOW THE CROSS SECTION OF LA GENTE DI COMPAGNA, FROM THE UPPER CRUST TO THE DIRE IMPOVERISHED, ENJOY THEMSELVES.

THE OBVIOUS ENJOYMENT COMES FROM THEIR ENJOYMENT OF FOOD AND THE PREPARATION OF FOOD IN ALL OF THEIR VARIOUS REGIONS..THERE IS ALSO THE GREGARIOUS PERSONALITIES AND THE WARMTH THEY CONVEY..IT COMES FROM THE MELODIC RHYTHYMS OF THEIR LA BELLA LINGUA...THE FASHION AND THE DESIGNERS FROM FURNITURE TO CARS TO BOATS...AD NAUSEUM...THERE IS REAL PALPABLE ENJOYMENT HERE EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE WORST AND MOST PROLONGED L'INVERNO ANYONE HERE CAN RECALL.

ITALIA BENEFITS FROM BEING THE HEADQUARTERS TO THE ROMAN EMPIRE..BECAUSE MUCH OF THE CONSTRUCTION FROM THAT EMPIRE CAN NEVER BE DUPLICATED OR ATTEMPTED AGAIN, THE ITALIANS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO PRESERVE THE RUINS AND OTHER MARKS FOR THEIR OWN ENHANCEMENT

ONE SUCH PLACE IS THE CASTELLO ROCCA SCALIGERA AT THE MOST NORTHERN TIP OF LAGO DI GARDA, THE LARGEST LAKE IN ALL OF ITALIA....FROM THE CASTELLO ONE WALKS TO NATURAL SPRINGS FED FROM THE LAKE THAT ARE HEALING AND BENEFICIAL TO RELAXATION AND GENERAL HEALTH..THE ROMANS SOAKED IN THE BATHS FOR HOURS AND DAYS AFTER BATTLES AND TODAY THEY SERVE A POPULATION THAT RECOGNIZES THE NATURAL BEAUTY IN SIRMIONE, ITALIA

WHY TODAY???..LETS JUST SAY THAT AFTER 24 STRAIGHT HOURS OF WET SNOWFALL WITH FLAKES THAT EASILY FELL ON ONES EXTENDED TONGUE AND COOLED ONES BREATH, IT WAS TIME TO FIND SOME LA DOLCE VITA..WHAT HOT SPRING WAS GOING TO REMOVE THE CHILL FROM THE MOLTI NEVI FALLING FROM THE GREY OVERCAST SKIES?

VAN PELT AND MYSELF HEARD THE CALL OF THE WILD AND IT WAS TIME TO ENJOY A SLICE OF LA DOLCE VITA..UPON ARRIVING AT THE TERME SIRMIONE WE WERE GREETED BY THE POWERFUL EDIFICIO OF CASTELLO ROCCA SCALIGERA...IT WAS 13TH CENTURY RENOVATION BY THE VERONESE..IT WOULD SERVE AS A BOAT BASIN SHELTER FOR THE VERONA ARMADA WHICH WAS CONSIDERABLE AT THAT TIME

BEAUTIFUL ACQUA WATERS SURROUND THE FORTRESS...WHAT MADE IT MORE AUSTERE WAS THE RATE THAT SNOW WAS FALLING..ACCUMULATION WAS RAPID IN THE SURROUNDINGS, WHICH WE WOULD EXPLORE NEXT TO ON OUR PASSAGIATA TO TERME' SIRMIONE..THROUGH A RETICULUM OF PATHS AND STONEWALL STORES AND AMIDST TALL THIN CYPRESS TREES WERE CHURCHES, AND VILLAS, AND HOTELS, AND GARDENS ALL PAINSTAKINGLY MAINTAINED...A FORTNIGHT AWAY FROM THE ADVENT OF LA PRIMAVERA THE TOWN OF SIRMIONE IS PREPARING TO AWAKEN FROM ITS I'INVERNO SOLSTICE.

THE ROMANS WERE SMART IN WHERE THEY LEFT THEIR MARK..SIRMIONE IS AN IMPRESSIVE DWELLING IN NORTHERN ITALY..THE SPA, FED BY THE BOIOLA SPRINGS IS AT THE MOST NORTHERN TIP OF LAGO DI GARDA..FROM ATOP THE CASTELLO ANY ENEMY THAT MIGHT ATTACK COULD EASILY BE SEEN FROM A PANORAMIC VIEW AS BOTH SIDES OF THE WATERS MEET AT THE POINT.ITS NOT SURPRISING THAT A SMALL VILLAGE JUST SOUTH LIES LIMONE SUL GARDA..AIR SCENTED BY AN ABUNDANCE OF CITRUS TREES WHERE THE LOCALES ENJOY THE LONGEST LIFE EXPECTANCY IN ALL OF ITALY.
THE SNOW PREVENTED ANY LEMON FRESH SCENTS ON THIS DAY..IT DID PRODUCE 2 SOAKED DAMP SORE TRAVELERS IN NEED OF SOME HOT SPRINGS.

THE SCENE WAS SURREAL..LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE OLD SOAP OPERA, "DARK SHADDOWS"..THERE WAS ZERO VISIBILITY..NO LAND COULD BE IDENTIFIED LOOKING OUT OVER THE LAKE...IF THE LOCHNESS MONSTER JUMPED FROM THE SHORE INTO THE HOT STEAM BATHS NO ONE WOULD RECOGNIZE..IT ADDED TO THE ANTICIPATION

THE 30 EURO DAY PASS BOUGHT US 5 HOURS OF SWIMMING..REALXING..SOAKING..EATING...FULL USE OF PALAESTRA AND AN EFFERVESCENSE THATS HARD TO FIND OR GENERATE ON SUCH A MISERABLE DAY...WHEN FEELINGS LIKE THIS OVERWHELM THE HUMAN SOUL, IT IS DIFFICULT TO THINK ABOUT WORK OR WHAT LIES AHEAD...WITH THAT SAID WE BOTH WONDERED IF COACH COS WOULD SEE ANY VALUE IN PRACTICE TONIGHT IN SUCH WRETCHED CONDITIONS...CERTAINLY THE BERGAMO LIONS WOULDN'T PLAY ANY BETTER OR WORSE IF PRACTICE WAS CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT CONDITIONS.

LA DOLCE VITA.....SI SI

ON THE OTHER HAND AFTER 5 HOURS OF JACUZZI'S WITH JETS MORE FORCEFUL THAN A FIREMAN'S HOSE PUTTING OUT A 5 ALARM FIRE, AND AFTER EATING CIBOFRESCA AND AFTER ERADICATING THE ONSET OF JOINT STIFFNESS ONE FEELS ON SUCH WINTRY DAYS, WE COULD CARE LESS WHAT CONDITIONS WE WOULD PRACTICE IN..AND WE WOULD PRACTICE

THE ONLY THING THAT WILL BE BETTER THAN TERME SIRMIONE IN COMING MONTHS IS SEEING IT ON A PERFECT SUNNY WARMER SPRING DAY..WITH THE LAKE..THE ALPS..THE VILLAS...AND THE SCENT OF SWEETENED AIR..

VAN PELT...GOTTA KEEP QB HAPPY

LA DOLCE VITA IS MORE THAN A PHRASE..ITS MORE THAN A MOVIE THAT IN ITS DAY POPULARIZED THE JET SET CROWD AND GAVE LIFE TO THE SCURRYING SYCOPHANTS KNOWN AS THE PAPPARAZZI..NO ITS REAL..MAY HAVE TO SEARCH FOR IT..BUT THEIR IS AN UNDERBELLY HERE THROUGHOUT ITALY WHERE THERE ARE OFFERINGS THAT BELY THE ACHES THAT DEVELOP FROM A HUMDRUM LIFE

PANORAMA OF LAGO DI GARDA

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO SURVEY SOME OF THESE RICHES AND SHARE WITH YOU IN BETWEEN SHAPING UP MY OFFENSIVE LINE, AND CREATING NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ATTACK THE BRUTTISH PARMA PANTHERS COME THIS WEEKEND..ITS A NEAR IMPOSSIBLE ASSIGNMENT. BUT I WILL PERFORM WITH A A MORE RELAXED SMILE AFTER A VISIT TO THE NATURAL HOT SPRINGS OF TERME' SIRMIONE